The results showed that MMP-2, MMP-7, MMP-9 and MT1-MMP were all significantly upregulated in gastric cancer specimens compared to matched normal tissue specimens (For both MMP-2 and MMP-9, P < 0.01; for both MMP-7 and MT1-MMP, P < 0.001) (Figure 3A). This evidence concerns the gene MMP9 and gastric cancer.